The boats to which this invention is applicable are commonly known as rigid-hull inflatable boats, and have an inflatable tube wall or "buoyancy tube" attached to the upper rim of a rigid hull. Many methods of attaching the tube(s) to the hull are known; some provide a removable attachment, others a permanent one. Removable attachments are preferred as they permit much easier repair or replacement of the tube(s) without the need to take the boat out of service for long periods.
Known removable attachments include that described in EP-B No. 024401, in which a rigid reinforcement is sealed onto the inner surface of the tube during its manfacture. The resulting rigid surface portion of the tube can then be bolted onto a horizontal flange extending around the rim of the boat hull. The main disadvantage of this method of attachment is that the rigid reinforcement must be incorporated into the inflatable tube during manufacture. This considerably increases the cost of manufacture--particularly since the reinforcement must be sealed to the tube--and also means that the system cannot be used on existing tubes. Furthermore, once removed and deflated the tube will be difficult to handle.